Kenshin & Kaoru Himura
by blood.ooka
Summary: Will Kenshin return Kaoru's love and get over Tomoe before the young woman dies of grief or not?


Kenshin glanced up at the ceiling. He had Kaoru in his arms but something was missing as usual. He sighed and clasped her small hand in his big but cold ones. She stirred lightly.

"Kenshin…?" she whispered.

Kenshin kissed her forehead softly and held her closer. "What is it, Kaoru…?" he asked.

"What's wrong…?" she asked him and shifted her head to look up at him.

"Nothing… I was just thinking…" Kenshin said softly. Kaoru smiled.

"What about?"

"The dreams I keep having," he replied, his eyes distant once more. Kaoru sighed and gently squeezed his hand.

"Kenshin…" she said softly. He looked at her. "Whatever happens… You know I will always be here waiting for you to return to me…"

Kenshin nodded and kissed her lips gently.

"Arigato Kaoru… I don't know what I would do without you…" he whispered and caressed her cheek softly. Kaoru closed her eyes and leaned into Kenshin. She kissed him lightly on the lips and took his hand.

_I know I can't replace Tomoe-sama… But I want to help still. I want to be needed by you…_ Kaoru thought silently and fell into his embrace.

"Don't lie to Kaoru-dono," Sanosuke said, his fist clasped tightly in his free hand. Kenshin glanced at him from his gaze at the cherry blossoms.

"Lie…?" he asked.

"You know what I'm talking about," Sanosuke said, looking at him. "Kaoru-dono loves you and she will do anything for you. But Kenshin, you aren't here with her. Anyone can see it. Especially Kaoru-dono. Can't you see the pain in her eyes everytime she looks into yours? She…" he sighed and let the sentence hang in the air.

Kenshin turned away and closed his eyes to feel the breeze as it gently blew his red locks from his face.

"Kaoru is the one I don't want to hurt," he said softly. Sanosuke looked at him and stood up.

"We both know I care about her," Sanosuke stated. "We both also know that I don't want to lose neither of you. If you can't get yourself straight and keep hurting Kaoru-dono, I won't forgive you."

"I won't forgive myself…" Kenshin whispered.

"That's the problem!" Sanosuke snapped and slammed his fist into Kenshin's jaw. Kenshin flew back as Sanosuke's fist connected with his jaw.

"Sanosuke!" Yahiko gasped from the doorway. Sanosuke was breathing hard. He grabbed Kenshin's collar and pulled him close, to meet face to face.

"Look, you! Kaoru-dono is not someone you can use to keep your bed warm! She's a woman who loves you and wants you to notice her! Pining away after that dead woman is killing Kaoru-dono inside slowly! Are you that heartless that you can't see her pain?!" Sanosuke shouted.

Kenshin lowered his eyes.

"I don't mean to hurt the woman who loves me…"

"Don't you love her!?" Sanosuke demanded.

"Yes… I do love Kaoru-dono…" Kenshin answered.

"Then go find her and tell her that! She needs to hear it!" Sanosuke shoved him back onto the ground roughly. Kenshin looked up at Sanosuke.

"Go," Sanosuke commanded, his eyes full of fury.

Kenshin stood up slowly and walked away to look for the woman who was dying slowly waiting for him to return his full love to her.

Kaoru held the package close and coughed. She covered her mouth and trembled. The package slid from her hand onto the ground as she fell to her knees.

"_Grief is what you're dying from,"_ Megumi had said, grinding the medicine Kaoru needed to sustain her life.

"_Grief…?"_

"_Yes, Kaoru-sama. You know that Kenshin can't see your love,"_ she stated flatly and poured the medicinal powder into a paper pouch.

"_I know…"_ Kaoru lowered her eyes and held her hand out to take the package from Megumi's hands.

Megumi had clasped her hands tightly around Kaoru's. _"I want you to go to Sanosuke if Kenshin doesn't return your love to you,"_ she said, her voice sad and low. _"I can't watch you die slowly from grief. That is the worst thing you can ever do to us, Kaoru-sama."_

Kaoru had pulled her hands back and stood up, bowing to Megumi. _"Arigato… Megumi-chan…"_ she whispered and left.

Kaoru's shoulders trembled as she leaned against the wall, coughing hard into her hand. Her vision blurred as she looked at the bloodstained hand she had covering her mouth earlier. Warm teardrops slid down her cheeks.

"Kenshin…" she whispered and gasped, coughing more. Her eyes bulged and she fell forward into the arms of the man she had been waiting for to love.

"Kaoru," Kenshin said softly and wrapped his arms around her. "Gomenasai," he apologized, holding her tightly in his arms. "I love you, Kaoru," he said.

Kaoru's eyes widened at his words, tears sliding from her cheeks more.

"Don't die, Kaoru. Please. Stay alive. Live with me," he begged, burying his face into her neck. "Stay with me…"

Kaoru's arms wrapped themselves around his waist. "Of course, Kenshin," she sobbed. "I want to live with you and be your wife."

"Kaoru…"

"I know I can't replace Tomoe. Enishi is right. No one can ever replace his sister in his heart or yours, but I want to be there to try and help you. I want to be by your side, Kenshin. I want to be your sheath," she said almost desperately searching for the words to say to him.

"Kaoru… Shh…" he cupped her face into his hands and looked into her eyes.

"No, Kenshin please… Let me finish," she pleaded and took his hands.

"Kaoru," he said with a stern voice. She looked at him. "Marry me… Please…? Marry me and be Kaoru Himura," he whispered.

"Yes!" Kaoru cried and collapsed into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "I will! I love you Kenshin!"

"I love you too, Kaoru…" he said and held her close as the wind picked up, blowing the ribbon from her hair.

The memories of Tomoe flew away with that ribbon as Kenshin braced himself to a new beginning with Kaoru Himura.


End file.
